Newsletter

Bacon Park Golf Course: An ace for O.C.

O.C. WELCH is in the business of putting people in the driver’s seats of the vehicles he sells.

He now faces a bigger challenge — getting the city-owned Bacon Park Golf Course off the clunker list and back on the road.

On Monday, Savannah City Council voted unanimously to award O.C. Welch Golf Properties Inc. a long-term management contract for the 27-hole public course, which has been plagued by poor maintenance and low turnout numbers.

The best thing about this track is its noble roots. Famed golf architect Donald Ross designed the original layout in 1925. Many of the city’s older golfers learned how to play the game — and the meaning of sportsmanship — there.

But if Savannah was once described as a beautiful lady with a dirty face, Bacon Park Golf Course is a distinguished gentleman who looks like a bum who sleeps on park benches.

Mr. Welch has his work cut out for him. But if he approaches this job with the same energy, perseverance and financial commitment that he brings to his auto dealership, the course has a shot at a comeback.

There’s no question Mr. Welch knows how to make a sales pitch. He actively campaigned for the contract, a sharp contrast to other bidders in the past. He also grew up playing golf at Bacon, which made him a sentimental favorite.

But city officials said they recommended Mr. Welch’s bid for a 12-year management contract because he earned it. Not because he had the best public relations.

“We had five criteria, and (Welch) presented a proposal that covered all five criteria,” said Joe Shearouse, the city’s Bureau Chief for Public Facilities, Events and Services Bureau.

That’s as it should be. But acing it with the city staff may have been the easiest part. Now Mr. Welch must put his business plan into practice.

His vision is ambitious. It includes a capital investment of more than $2 million over the life of the contract and a redesign that would return the course to its original layout. Also on the drawing board are improving the cart paths, irrigation system, concessions and maintenance equipment. He said he plans a fee increase to cover some of the costs, but says it would be minimal.

“I’m extremely happy to be moving forward with the next chapter in my life,” said Mr. Welch, who is the president of O.C. Welch Ford Lincoln in Hardeeville. “My life has come full circle, and I look forward to hanging my hat (at Bacon Park). I hope I die there ... but no time soon.”

That sounds like he’s seriously talking legacy. That’s music to the ears of local golfers who remember Bacon Park Golf Course the way it used to be — and hope to see again.